It's not the prettiest cake ever, but it definitely was one of the tastiest!

I. Love. Halloween. It is, without a doubt, my favorite holiday of the entire year. I love the decorations, the excitement, the spooky stories…everything. But, most of all, pheasants, I love dressing up. Costuming is one of my favorite pastimes…I have a closet full of Snow White, Goddess, pirate and princess costumes back at my parents’ house. I love making my costumes and getting ready for Halloween. It drives M nuts. She firmly believes that once one hits puberty, all Halloween-ing goes out the window. I respectfully disagree. Halloween is my favorite time of the year.

And to celebrate this year’s excellent holiday, I decided to start off my day with a mini upside-down apple cake. As we were falling asleep last night, I was telling M how much I’d like to do a layered oatmeal cake, and it got me thinking…why wait? I love upside down cakes, almost as much as I love cheesecake (which is a lot!) I think they’re fun, tasty, and absolutely amazing. Also, what could be easier and nicer for a chilly morning breakfast than some warm, creamy baked oatmeal layered with sweet and cinnamony apples?

I will admit it…I was very tempted to make my Pheasant’s Shirred Eggs again…but I find that when I eat oatmeal in the mornings, I make better food choices during the rest of my day.

After yesterday’s oatmeal cake (my first oatmeal cake ever, mind you!) I’ve decided that I’d like to bake mine a bit less, because I like a softer interior. And pheasants…it came out phenomenally. The apples were soft and full of flavor, the oatmeal creamy in the center and firm on the sides. It was glorious. I didn’t add sugar to the oatmeal itself this time, because the apples were sweet and I added honey to the bottom (inverted top) layer while building it. I’d definitely recommend this for any type of fruit…cherries, strawberries, blackberries. Use them frozen if you’ve got them, and just use a little less water in the recipe. Use your imagination, pheasants! For, as Albert Einstein said, “Logic will take you from A to B. Imagination can take you anywhere.”

Baked Oatmeal Upside Down Cake

1/2 c. oats, less 2 tbsp

1/4 c. water

1/3 medium apple (I used a Gala)

1/2 tsp honey

1/4 tbsp heavy cream

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

As much cinnamon as you like!

So, pheasants, you know the drill: set that oven to 375°F (191°C for my Canadian and international pheasants.) In a spice grinder, pulse a pinch of oats until flour. Add this flour to a bowl, then add in the oats, cinnamon, cream and water. Mix it together, then set it aside. Chop up the apple into small bits (about twice the size of a grain of rice was what I went with.) For the first layer, set a thick layer of apples on the bottom of the ramekin. Sprinkle with cinnamon, and drizzle honey over it all. Mix it up with a spoon and spread it out again. Then, put about half the oatmeal mixture on top, spreading it out so everything touches the walls. Repeat with one more layer of apples (cinnamon- and honey-free this time) and then spoon in the remaining oatmeal. Spread it all out well, and then pop that baby in the oven for 10-15 minutes, depending on how chewy you like your oats, and how soft you like it inside.